Dummies Guide To Mass Murderers

Unless you are part of that demographic-to-be-ignored, the latte-sipping bleeding-hearts, both left and small-l-liberal, here is a quick guide to labels and policies regarding mass murderers, or assassins of your own prime minister:

Demographic:

Swarthy Moslem

White Lefty Latte Sipper

White Christian Anti-Moslem Righty

Swarthy Ultra Orthodox Jew Righty

Psychology:

Evil

Mad

Mad

Mad

Your Ideology:

Evil

Mad and Dangerous

Irrelevant because of insanity

Irrelevant because of insanity

Punishment:

Execute or incarcerate forever without trial

Criminally insane ward in a prison

Criminally insane ward in a prison

Imprison

Others in the demographic:

Kick them out of the country, don’t let any more in, or subject them to security agencies bullying.

Make them shut up, and especially don’t let them speak in schools or mass media..

The Right Stuff

Patriots

Assumption next atrocity is from the demographic:

99%

1%

0%

0%

Assumption the demographic’s policies will destroy civilization:

100%

100%

0%

0%

Personally, I’d classify all four as mad, and where frank psychosis is incomplete, the evil results come from improper education, incitement by others in the same demographic, and twisted readings of the texts of the ideology.

In other words, things that could be largely prevented by a combination of decent community mental health services, and an education system that gives fair exposition of all texts used by nutters as pretexts for action, stressing the humanity in those texts, and showing how the inhumane parts should be deprecated.

But that table above (although in arabic countries, the polar opposite labels) is how the popular press presents the assumptions and interpretations, and that’s how the bogan majority, whether they are on the dole with thongs for formal wear, or in finance wearing gucci shoes while relaxing at home, see the world, and treat others according to those views.

Even respectable papers came out in the wake of the Norwegian tragedy printing assumptions of Islamist terrorist cells as the perpetrators.

Even the language of all the politicians hinted at terrorist groups, of you-know-what nudge-nudge wink-wink varieties.

The tabloid press, even after printing (in small print) corrections, kept running "evidence" of terror cells in Norway – terror cells being detected and dismantled quite competently by the Norwegian justice system.

The headlines, even after the arrest of the white, christian, freemason righty who listens to classical music and reads Adam Smith, still screamed "Norway’s 9/11" rather than "Norway’s Oklahoma".

Of course, the Norwegians are good examples, especially with a Labor/Green coalition, of watermelon latte-sippers – so whereas Dubya Bush immediately issued statements about "we will get you!" and then proceeds to dismantle human rights and freedoms, the Norwegian PM issues a statement saying "we will retaliate by strengthening our democracy.".

Perhaps the Norwegians are channelling Marcus Aurelius: "refusing to emulate is the best revenge".

But even latte-sippers have a problem – when do we use the labels "evil" or "insane" for persons or ideologies? Or, as a lawyer friend puts it – there’s "mad, bad and sad" in the mix, and sometimes it’s hard to figure out how much of what is mixed with what, whether we need psychiatric, corrections, or social services.

It seems in the anglophone world that the politicians and press are quite happy to whip up a frenzy, preferably against minorities, so they can have an arms race of hairy chests, crying "more prisons", "deportation", "no immigration".

I suppose simplistic interpretations and policy development is perfect for political success – don’t let the masses think – they might actually want the powerful to do something decent, the masses might actually disagree with those in positions of power and undue influence.

The favored approach of the powerful – promoting hypocrisy, will NOT do a damn thing to prevent the next tragedy – only make it more likely.

Imagine a world where the latte-sippers, the left and right wing versions having their polite disagreements, actually did dominate journalism, actually did brainwash all the kiddies into babyccino-sippers, actually got decent mental health and education systems in place!

It probably wouldn’t stop all the lunatics before it was too late, but it would stop many.

It definitely would lower the levels of fear, distrust and hate that promote ideologically-motivated violence.

And who could object to that?

Ummm… the religious nutters (the non-latte-sipping varieties), the power brokers, the tabloid press, the back-room politicians and strategists…